Wright has been a part of the Australian squad since the very first qualifier against Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek almost 18 months ago and says the prospect of going to another World Cup is feeling more real with each victory.

“If you look back to then it feels like quite a while ago and then you look how close we are now,” he said.

“We’ve still got a lot of hard work to do, some tough games but we believe in ourselves and know what we’re capable of. We’ve worked hard to get where we are now and believe in what we’ve done.

“We’ll keep doing that and that will get us over the line and that would mean another World Cup for us which would be amazing.”

Coach Ange Postecoglou has excellent options in central defence, with Wright alongside Trent Sainsbury and Matthew Spiranovic, while Mark Milligan and Milos Degenek can also slot in there.

“It’s what you want in football whether it’s club or international. No one wants an easy ride,” the 24-year-old said of the competitions for places in central defence.

“That’s the healthy thing with this squad, no-one’s position is safe. Whether you have got the shirt or not, you have to work really hard to get it and that’s what bonds for a successful team.”

Wright has arrived in camp full of confidence after a good run of form in the English Championship with Preston North End.

After a slow start, the Deepdale club have surged to 11th on the table and just outside of the playoff places, with the Melbourne-born defender starting 12 of 16 games in the league for the Lillywhites.